&#
x201C;Mommy!” The scream rips you from a deep slumber and has your heart racing long before you open your eyes. There standing at the side of your bed is your child, shivering, a look of terror in his eyes and tears running down his cheeks. “There is a monster in my closet,’’ he whimpers. For as long as there are children, there will be monsters in the closet or under the bed. It’s a tradition of childhood that can be brought on by a healthy imagination, shadows on the wall, squeaky mattresses and even life-size dolls.
Instructions
1. Take time to listen and talk to him. Sometimes the monster in the closet is a symptom of an insecurity your child might be feeling. Perhaps he saw a news report of a child being taken and is now afraid, or maybe he is being picked on by a bully at school.
2. Add a “monster check” to her bedtime routine. You and your child could turn it into a game. Walk around together to check the closet, under the bed and every corner of the room. Make sure the windows are locked and remove any large toys. Finally, before leaving, declare the room monster free.
3. Give him a flashlight to shine on any moving or hiding monster when he is alone. Reassure him monsters don’t like the light, so they will flee when it’s shined on them. You might also want to think of a night-light to give him continued reassurance.
4. Make some "monster repellent" spray. This is another thing you and your child can make a game out of. The bottle can be filled with anything you want, just as long as it’s colorless, and your child can decorate the bottle in any way she chooses.
5. Set a trap. Take an empty cardboard box no matter the size and attach a small bell to it. Allow your child to draw or decorate the box. You and he could make a game out of testing the trap. The goal is to get your child so caught up in assembling the trap that it may take the edge off his imaginary enemies.
6. Finally if all else fails, make friends with the monsters. Leave cookies and little tokens for them and tell your child that the monsters are just as frightened as he is, and they are just looking for a little bedtime snack or comfort before they too drift off to sleep.
Tags: your child, closet under, make game, monster closet
